1. Keeping Illinois’ D-line at bay. The Illini lead the Big Ten with 11 sacks through three games, including six last week in a win over Arizona State. Illinois’ defensive front — including Michael Buchanan, Whitney Mercilus and Akeem Spence — is unlike anything the Broncos have faced this season. Somehow, they’ve got to keep Alex Carder upright and give their junior QB a couple seconds to make WMU’s offense go. The scary thing for the Broncos is that it doesn’t take but a mistake or two on the offensive line to completely ruin the game. Two errors at Michigan resulted in two defensive touchdowns and altered the day significantly. Be it through ‘Look out!’ blocks or holds or horse-collaring a defender that gets free, WMU’s offensive line needs to make sure its worst offensive play is a 15-yard penalty or incomplete pass, or at least a sack Carder sees coming. The Broncos are capable of scoring in the mid-20s today. Whether WMU’s defense is capable of holding the Illini in that range remains to be seen. But there’s no chance of it happening if the Broncos have issues with turnovers or allow a defensive score.

Erik Holladay / Special to the GazetteJordan White caught a career-high 13 passes for a season-high 177 yards in Saturday's win over CMU. He also caught two touchdown passes, including this one.

2. WMU QB Alex Carder and WR Jordan White. The reality of today’s game and games like it is this: An underdog needs a couple matchups in its favor to have a chance. In 2008, Jamarko Simmons was the best player on the field and Illini QB Juice Williams was the worst (at least at making decisions). Those two advantages were enough for 23-17 Bronco win. Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is a different player than Williams and far from as mistake-prone. That means the blitz-11-and-watch-Juice-still-throw-an-INT plan is out. WMU’s two potential advantages are Carder and White. Carder has to be perfect. That means no turnovers, no missed big opportunities, no holding onto the ball dangerously long and always getting WMU into a smart play. White has to prolific again, as he was last week and at Michigan and as Simmons was three years ago. Is it a lot to ask? Yes. But so is beating the Illini.

Associated PressIllinois wideout A.J. Jenkins is second in the Big Ten in both receptions and receiving yards, with 22 catches for 322 yards and two TDs.

3. A.J. Jenkins vs. Lewis Toler and Co. In some ways, Toler asked for this. If the Broncos’ cornerback hadn’t been so good as a redshirt freshman last year, he might not be left alone so often in coverage against top-flight wideouts. Against an Illinois offense that draws defenses in with the run and then chucks it downfield, Toler is likely to find often himself one-on-one against Illinois’ stud receiver Jenkins. Jenkins, a legit NFL prospect, has 22 catches for 322 yards this season. Toler is yet to have a big day against a big-time wideout. Today would be a really good time for it.

4. Keeping Illinois’ ground game grounded. Aside from during a 56-3 drubbing of FCS South Dakota State, Illinois’ usually vaunted running game has produced modestly this season, netting 3.2 yards per rush against Arizona State and Arkansas State. The Illini’s leading rusher is Jason Ford, a bruising runner no doubt, but he’s averaging 3.6 yards per carry, with a long of 15. No matter how well QB Nathan Scheelhaase is playing — passing and running — this is a pound-the-rock offense first. If the Illini can’t move the chains on the ground, this is not an offense that’s going to blow anybody out. Keeping track of Scheelhaase, a tremendous athlete, is part of the equation here for WMU. The Broncos have had plenty of practice with mobile QBs, having faced two already this season.

Jonathon Gruenke / Kalamazoo GazetteThis hit by Illinois on former WMU tight end Branden Ledbetter in 2008 ended Ledbetter's regular season. His absence damaged the Broncos' hopes against a ranked Ball State team two weeks later in a game that turned out to determine the MAC West title.

5. Health matters. Regardless of what happens today, WMU will leave Champaign 1-0 in the Mid-American Conference with seven league games remaining, four of them on the road. Whether the Broncos are 3-1 or 2-2 matters less than whether Alex Carder and Jordan White and Tevin Drake, among others, are in one piece. Injuries against a similarly ferocious-looking Illini squad in 2008 ruined any chance the Broncos had at winning the MAC. Minus tight end Branden Ledbetter and with quarterback Tim Hiller hobbled, they had no chance in the season-finale at Ball State. Back then WMU had two league games left and a bowl game. This time, the crux of its season remains. As Broncos coach Bill Cubit said earlier this week, all that can be done is to pray for health, the team can’t approach the game worried about injuries. But if this game gets out of reach, WMU would be smart to introduce the Illini to running back Michael Johnson — over and over and over.

PredictionDuring the course of the week, I sometimes get asked for predictions by various media outlets. This week, it was an Illinois radio station and newspaper. I said 35-27 in Illinois’ favor. As the week’s gone on, however, I’ve had trouble justifying a one-score game. Illinois may not be a top 10 team, but the Illini might be among the top three in the Big Ten. And they’ve got athletes on defense the likes of which WMU hasn’t seen. The Broncos are a better upset pick next week.